Anyone make their own cake?

[acidcookie]

Yesterday I made a birthday cake for my friend's bday. It was two layers of chocolate cake held together with chocolate frosting and covered with a white meringue-ish marshmallowy frosting. I even colored some of the frosting purple and wrote on the cake with it (using a ziploc bag with a corner cut off). It was my first real cake, it was 100% from scratch (evening both frostings), and it was a major hit!

So I'm thinking "Gee, I could totally make my own cake!" The only real issue is where to store all the cake rounds I'd make before the wedding (a household fridge for two isn't gonna cut it).

Has anyone made their own wedding cake? Or not because it was too much stress? Would love advice :D

[WebLady]

I would think it'd be too much to worry about, I wouldn't do it.

I have know of brides where a friend or family member made the cake, but never heard of a bride doing it.

[acidcookie]

I would think it'd be too much to worry about, I wouldn't do it.

I have know of brides where a friend or family member made the cake, but never heard of a bride doing it.

You're probably right. I'm just so hands-on! Too bad no one else in my family (at least my family here in the U.S.) does even the tiniest bit of baking :bbcry:

[Kfancii]

I made Mack's Groom's Cake for our reception picnic last Saturday. I used a 16x9x2 rectangular pan for the first two layers and then a Wilton Guitar pan for the top layer. Each of the rectangular layers was made of 3 cake mixes, and the guitar was one mix, for a total of 7 cake mixes. (The cake fed over 100 people and we still have tons left over)

Now onto the frosting-I used 7 lbs of powdered sugar, 1 can of vegetable shortening and 1 can of cocoa for the buttercream frosting, and used two cans of coconut pecan frosting between the layers as filling. The cake was HUGE and very heavy, but turned out pretty good if I say so myself! I have pictures that need to be downloaded so I will try to post them tonight or tomorrow.

I don't know that I would try to do my own wedding cake- I took off from work on Friday to do this one for our reception, and the cake took me almost the entire day to complete by the time I baked all the layers, cooled them, mixed all the icing and decorated it. I have been decorating cakes for years and have all the proper tools and it still took forever. I just don't think I would want that stress the day before my actual wedding.

[horse345]

I saw a bridezilla episode where she made her own cakes...anyone else see this? She was super stressed out over just the cakes and not the rest of her wedding. It didn't help that she was completely wasted throughout the whole show...and one of her bridesmaids ended up dropping one of the cakes on the concrete.

I would say that's too much stress...you have enough to worry about on your big day, so leave it up to someone else :)

[acidcookie]

By wedding cake I def don't mean some multi-tiered business with fancy frosting piping, etc. Certainly something that's simpler, or several cakes.

[Heywie]

I toyed with doing my own cake, too. I know I could make one as good, if not better than some of these expensive bakeries. Everyone I know told me not to do it. "You'll have enough to worry about, don't deal with the cake!"

Someone finally convinced me.. I think it was my mom. Although the thought is still in my mind...

[Scrwballsgrl]

I had the same thoughts....but my mom too was telling me I would be too stressed to want to deal with that.........and what if it didn't turn out!

then I was toying around with the idea of getting the cakes from walmart (about $100 cheaper than the actual bakeries around here) but my mom brought up the valid point of then having to pick the cake up and what if something happened to it on the way to the wedding, etc.

So I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and order one....and from someone who will deliver...

[acidcookie]

then I was toying around with the idea of getting the cakes from walmart (about $100 cheaper than the actual bakeries around here) but my mom brought up the valid point of then having to pick the cake up and what if something happened to it on the way to the wedding, etc.

Yeah originally FH and I decided to just buy 10 Wegmans chocolate cakes which serve 10 and are $16 each, so $160. They are plain chocolate so we figured we'd decorate 5 or so with whatever decorations we are using and put them on cake stands for display. The other 5 could just be hanging out in the kitchen till serving time. But how to get 10 cakes to the wedding location 20 minutes away in the muggy August heat that morning? :snide:

[Scrwballsgrl]

I know! I just hate the idea of spending so much money on a cake thats "just a cake" and may or maynot get eaten!

[gwenshack]

Oh, I totally saw that bridezilla episode - the bride kept drinking heavily - and then her bridesmaid dropped one of the cakes on the pavement and the bride had a complete hissy fit.
She made her family (her sister had JUST - literally like the day before - had a baby) make like 50 cakes or something - each table had a cake. She was a crazy tyrant.

Granted, I know that wouldn't be you! :) But even not being a tequila-crazed insane woman, I think making your own wedding cake might end up being a tad stressful. :)

[Amanda&Jason]

I have made fancy birthday cakes for my daughter. Character ones. The are easy and really tasty. I am doing cupcakes for the wedding and I am making those. I am sure that it won't be too hard.
Here is a pic of her fifth b day cake that I attempted freehand. I have no artistic talent so for me this was good. I have since made others that turned out better. It is easier for me if you can look at a picture and have it shaped that way to begin with. Practice makes better(for me at least) LOL!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d903b3127ccec4f8287fd90300000040O08EZtHDdmzbA9 vPho/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

[Kfancii]

I know! I just hate the idea of spending so much money on a cake thats "just a cake" and may or maynot get eaten!

Well, before this weekend I thought the same way you did- it was JUST a cake, but that cake took me about 8 hours to make start to finish and the decorating on it was pretty simple, just shell borders and stars. I used 3 tips to do the whole cake-I can't imagine the time that some of the more intricate designs take to pipe on there.

I agree that wedding cakes are expensive, but I spent over $40.00 just for the ingredients for this cake. My pay rate at my current job is $24.00 an hour, so if you add my labor costs, my grooms cake would have been almost $200 to feed 100 people. Trust me when I say that cake artists earn their money.

[08chrissy08]

I actually went to cullinary school and am a certified pastry chef. I make wedding cakes and every desert you can think up. I will NOT make my own cake. You are going to have so much going on that day without adding all the hassle of making the cake on top of it. Even making the cake the day before...well it's risky. It's very easy to mess up a cake if you are nervous or anxious or even just in a hurry. If you are looking to save money here is what I would suggest. Depending on how fancy you want to go, you could find a good friend to do it for you. Or, do you have a cullinary school near you? I know many of the students at my school already had cake decorating experience before they even took the course and many (including myself) did wedding cakes for very cheap on the side while going to school. Keep in mind that would only work if they have a baking and pastry devision in the school, some don't.

I also saw you mention the august heat. A culinary student that is doing wedding cakes, or a professiocal would be able to make sure your cake got there without the heat murdering it. A lot of icings don't take the heat very well.

[acidcookie]

I agree that wedding cakes are expensive, but I spent over $40.00 just for the ingredients for this cake. My pay rate at my current job is $24.00 an hour, so if you add my labor costs, my grooms cake would have been almost $200 to feed 100 people. Trust me when I say that cake artists earn their money.

I understand that and appreciate paying for talent. But I am not as interested in the talent for my cake. I'm ok with a cake that looks homemade, not perfect, not amazing with 5 towers. $40 on ingredients is still only $40, not $400.

For me part of it is taking pride that *I* did it. I had a vision of having so many things at my wedding done by me or by friends, local people, etc. and I feel like more and more that's being taken away. It's too inconvenient, it's too much hassle, let's just go with this, etc. I never imagined I'd actually get a cake at a bakery but here's yet another thing I guess I have to shell out for. All we do is save and save and my hope of a small budget wedding is turning into a standard budget wedding.

And I really can't accept that it's just the way weddings go. I've seen plenty of beautiful homemade weddings. Problem is we have NO family nearby to help with these things. :sob:

[acidcookie]

Depending on how fancy you want to go, you could find a good friend to do it for you. Or, do you have a cullinary school near you? I know many of the students at my school already had cake decorating experience before they even took the course and many (including myself) did wedding cakes for very cheap on the side while going to school. Keep in mind that would only work if they have a baking and pastry devision in the school, some don't.

Hi, thanks for the culinary school suggestion. Unfortunately we don't have one here, though I'm at one of the largest universities in the country so maybe there is another outlet there. I'd have so many more great options if I still lived in Portland rather than middle of nowhere PA!

I only have one friend who bakes regularly and I love her and the taste of her baked goods dearly, but I have to confess I'd be anxious about unleashing the task on her. I'd be really nervous that a dog hair would end up on it or it would be partly burnt or caved in.

[mitch]

I was quoted Approx $198 by "Someone who knows someone" and was OK with that for a Three Tier Stacked Cake. But then i found out the Cake was all Sponge and i'm worried about it collapsing. Plus other issues surrounding People i know. (See "Time To Take Control" under Vents)

Looking on eBay i found someone in London doing the same style cake only more professional looking for $150.
So i e-mailed her and got her Phone Number to talk direct. I'm planning on making an Appointment to see her Next Week when FH's Two Youngest Daughters are here. Then i can involve them a bit in what Flavour / Finish to go for.

I've also taken over the Catering so i have enough to deal with there. As much as i would love to have a bash at making my own Cake. I think i'm going to leave that with those in the Know.

But i do take my hat off to any Bride who goes ahead and bakes their own.

[Kfancii]

I understand that and appreciate paying for talent. But I am not as interested in the talent for my cake. I'm ok with a cake that looks homemade, not perfect, not amazing with 5 towers. $40 on ingredients is still only $40, not $400.

For me part of it is taking pride that *I* did it. I had a vision of having so many things at my wedding done by me or by friends, local people, etc. and I feel like more and more that's being taken away. It's too inconvenient, it's too much hassle, let's just go with this, etc. I never imagined I'd actually get a cake at a bakery but here's yet another thing I guess I have to shell out for. All we do is save and save and my hope of a small budget wedding is turning into a standard budget wedding.

And I really can't accept that it's just the way weddings go. I've seen plenty of beautiful homemade weddings. Problem is we have NO family nearby to help with these things. :sob:

I get the pride of *I* did it! That is partly why I did the grooms cake for Mack. I wanted it to be something special that I did for him. All that matters about your cake is that YOU are happy with it and if you want to do it- go for it! I don't doubt that you can do something very nice and have it be just what you wanted it to be. Don't let anyone tell you that it's just the way it is done because who cares? This is your wedding and should be done your way 100%!

We also had a wedding cake made for our reception and while it was pretty, and tasted amazing, even after I provided the baker with a photo and instructions of exactly what I wanted, it still wasn't done the way I had asked for it to be. It just goes to show that no matter how perfect you want your cake to be even hiring a professional you don't always get what you want.

You are also correct about it still only being $40 - Mom paid $150 for the wedding cake. Oh, and we did have LOTS of cake left, but then I went a little overboard on how much I ordered. We had cake for 200 and had 85 guests. Lots of folks took home big hunks of cake that night!

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

[Kfancii]

Another thought that might buy you some extra time if you do decide to the do the cake yourself is to bake it in advance and wrap the layers well and then freeze them until a couple days before the wedding when you can frost them. My only caution with is is be sure that allow yourself ample time to defrost the cakes because if you frost them while they are still semi-frozen, the icing could slide off. At my first wedding, my ex-mil and ex-sil did this and then tried to stack the layers and during the reception the cake started slipping and sliding all over the place. It is comical now, but at the time it wasn't so funny.

[mitch]

At my first wedding, my ex-mil and ex-sil did this and then tried to stack the layers and during the reception the cake started slipping and sliding all over the place. It is comical now, but at the time it wasn't so funny.

How terrible on the day for you.
Reminds me of a wedding i went to where an Eight Tier Wedding Cake just crashed to the floor.
It was one of those Brides who had loads of Sisters and each had to out-do the last Bride. Each adding a Tier over the Previous.
The table coudn't take the Weight and halfway through the Speeches, the whole lot went through the table. :bbeek:

The Bride was naturally in bits on the Floor. Her New Husband trying to console her. While her Sisters looked on and Sniggered.

[BnB]

I will be making my own cake, but I have been doing cakes for 22 years

it is not something I would suggest unless you've made at least a dozen others

too many things can go wrong, and you can't do any of it until last minute

[Whitewater]

I saw a bridezilla episode where she made her own cakes...anyone else see this? She was super stressed out over just the cakes and not the rest of her wedding. It didn't help that she was completely wasted throughout the whole show...and one of her bridesmaids ended up dropping one of the cakes on the concrete.

I would say that's too much stress...you have enough to worry about on your big day, so leave it up to someone else :)

I saw that episode too, and DANG. That bride was literally NEVER sober. It was kind of scary, actually. Every time the camera was on her she has some kind of alcohol in her hand. Didn't matter if it was beer or champange or a martini or whisky, she drank them all!!!

She was trying to make something like 16 different cakes, though -- one different cake for each of her tables. The funny thing is, I was planning on doing exactly that, until I saw how it works (or doesn't) in real life. Even if that poor girl *had* been sober, she STILL would have had all kinds of problems and stress.

It's why we're spending the money to have ours professionally done, although I would still like to use our fish mold and make Fiance's groom's cake myself. The mold would ensure it would only be one layer (unless, of course, I make two or three of them!) and it wouldn't be too hard to decorate a fish. Color the icing silvery-grey, pipe scales and fins, and voila.

(Yeah, I have a lot of time on my hands. Right now I'm just a housewife, so I have all the time in the world to contemplate dumb things like this!)


Whitewater

[081608Bride]

I saw a bridezilla episode where she made her own cakes...anyone else see this? She was super stressed out over just the cakes and not the rest of her wedding. It didn't help that she was completely wasted throughout the whole show...and one of her bridesmaids ended up dropping one of the cakes on the concrete.

I would say that's too much stress...you have enough to worry about on your big day, so leave it up to someone else :)


Ha ha... I saw that episode! I always thought she dropped her own cake and was just blaming it on the bridesmaid because she was so drunk! LOL...

I wouldn't do it just because it would be so stressful! But it would be cool! I know what you mean about being so hands on!! But the stress would probably be to much!

[acidcookie]

Y'all are probably right that I should leave it in the hands of a pro baker. Gee I wish other family members baked. It's hard not being the photographer at my own wedding too! :-P

[conceited]

well speaking of DIY has anyone consider sewing their own tablecloth. I cant bake but I can sew. Ive been looking for fabrics and the cheapest fabric I found was fabric lining. I can get it like a dollar a yard. Im thinkin 20 60inch tables and 150 chairs, Im guessing 100 yards should do it. I dont want cotton table or chair covers, and satin chair covers are high to rent just like the tablecloths. Any suggestions?

[acidcookie]

well speaking of DIY has anyone consider sewing their own tablecloth. I cant bake but I can sew. Ive been looking for fabrics and the cheapest fabric I found was fabric lining. I can get it like a dollar a yard. Im thinkin 20 60inch tables and 150 chairs, Im guessing 100 yards should do it. I dont want cotton table or chair covers, and satin chair covers are high to rent just like the tablecloths. Any suggestions?

If I need tablecloths (really don't know yet), I plan to definitely go this route. With a sewing machine it's super easy to just hem the fabric. I mean table clothes are just hemmed pieces of fabric, nothing more. I don't know about making that many chair covers though. 150? I think you'd go crazy. Plus if you buy an order that size you might get a deal anyway.

[Thalia_themuse]

I'm planning on doing my own cake - but obviously won't need it for a couple of years. I think the size of the wedding would be the biggest issue... I reckon if you're having a reception of 500 people then get a professional but if you only have 50 people it isn't as daunting to DIY. If you're having a big wedding you could always make one or two cakes yourself as the 'centrepiece' and buy the others...?

[acidcookie]

I'm planning on doing my own cake - but obviously won't need it for a couple of years. I think the size of the wedding would be the biggest issue... I reckon if you're having a reception of 500 people then get a professional but if you only have 50 people it isn't as daunting to DIY. If you're having a big wedding you could always make one or two cakes yourself as the 'centrepiece' and buy the others...?

Ooh, so true! I could make the pretty display cakes and then buy plain regular cake even that is in the kitchen and then served! Hmmmm... Or maybe make a bride's cake and a groom's cake (small) to show off? And everyone else gets store-bought. Oooh! Exciting idea!

We had about 100 on our rough draft lists when we were trying to get ballpark ideas. I think we'll invite 100, so end up with less than that in total.

[Thalia_themuse]

Ooh, so true! I could make the pretty display cakes and then buy plain regular cake even that is in the kitchen and then served! Hmmmm... Or maybe make a bride's cake and a groom's cake (small) to show off? And everyone else gets store-bought. Oooh! Exciting idea!

We had about 100 on our rough draft lists when we were trying to get ballpark ideas. I think we'll invite 100, so end up with less than that in total.

At one stage I was tossing around the idea of making a computer cake for Groom, and an archaeological pit cake for me (he being a professional computer nerd and me being an archaeologist) and having a pretty one for cutting. I'm really not keen on spending much on things like cake, flowers, photos etc. so I'm going to go the (very) cheap route :)

If you want the pride of making the cake but don't want as much hassle - I think make some, buy others is your best option. Good luck, have fun with it!! :D

[conceited]

yeah you are probably right, but seeing as I dont have a date set yet, i may have plenty of time Im thinkin october of 2009 but nothing solid. the only problem will be ordering chair covers in a color like plum that will match the tablecloths I make.

[Kfancii]

I finally downloaded the pictures of the cake I made for our reception:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w196/Kfancii/GroomsCake.jpg

And here is my wedding cake that was professionally done, but not exactly what I asked for:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w196/Kfancii/WeddingCake.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w196/Kfancii/WeddingCake2.jpg

[MN_Bride]

I'm planning on making mine, but only because I am doing 2 faux layers on a 3 layer cake with a very simple design. I am serving sheet cakes so I can have more variety of flavor at a much lower cost, so only FH and I will even taste the cake I'm making. I got all the supplies for under $25 online! We have 300 invited, so a regular wedding cake from a bakery would break the bank!

[RosieAngel]

Yeah originally FH and I decided to just buy 10 Wegmans chocolate cakes which serve 10 and are $16 each, so $160. They are plain chocolate so we figured we'd decorate 5 or so with whatever decorations we are using and put them on cake stands for display. The other 5 could just be hanging out in the kitchen till serving time. But how to get 10 cakes to the wedding location 20 minutes away in the muggy August heat that morning? :snide:

I LOVE that idea!!! I also agree that it would be hard to transport, though. :purplex:

[ME&HIM]

Im helping my friends dad make ours